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In the latest step of a process that has taken more than a year, the Legislature’s Health and Services Committee today recommended the firm HCR, based in Rochester, NY, to purchase the operating certificate of the County’s Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA).  The recommendation came by a 4-0 vote, with Legislator Will Burbank excused.

HCR was one two firms to respond to the County’s Request for Proposals to take over the CHHA, issued following the Legislature’s decision earlier this year to divest of the agency, operated by the County Health Department.  HCR offered to purchase the agency for $850,000, and was the unanimous choice of the special committee appointed by County Administrator Joe Mareane (made up of Health Department staff, County Legislators, members of the Board of Health, and County Administration) to develop and review responses to the RFP.  The review committee concluded that HCR was the appropriate choice for Tompkins County.

Administrator Mareane praised the review process as “very effective,” and noted that preserving quality of care was a core concern throughout.  “We are firmly convinced that HCR can maintain the quality of care this community is accustomed to,” he said.

The matter next goes to the budget committee and then to the full Legislature.

HCR is a proprietary, employee-owned Certified Home Health Agency in Monroe, Genesee, and Orleans Counties.  It currently operates agencies in Schoharie and Cortland Counties under management agreements and will begin operating in Madison, Delaware, and Wayne Counties under similar agreements over the next few months.

Administrator Mareane said that, once sale of operating certificate is approved by the Legislature, the next step will be for the County to enter into a contract with HCR, under which HCR will assume management of the local CHHA on the County’s behalf over the next year or so while the County completes the process to secure necessary State approval for the sale.  Costs associated with that management agreement are expected to be more than offset by sale proceeds.

Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera, who was one who had not supported divestment of the CHHA, said that she was supporting sale of the operating certificate to HCR, since the Health Department is in support of that arrangement.  Committee Chair Frank Proto thanked Health Department staff for their effort in bringing the effort forward, while always preserving quality patient care, during what was at times a “strained process.”

Tompkins County made the difficult decision to divest of the County-run CHHA in light of deep state aid cuts for operation of such agencies, forcing annual expenditure in local dollars of $400,000 each year.

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